Good morning.  I am sitting out here listening to, you guessed it, the munching away of the babies.  I am also trying to avoid the view that is DaBubbles gaping injuries.  I was sitting here feeling pretty sad for myself.  Then I got one of those forwarded emails that make you say, "shame on me", my life is great.
 
One of the reasons I am frustrated (but in perspective now hee hee) is that yesterday DaBubbles tore apart this little space in the carport.  We had to separate him from his mom.  She had already pretty much weaned him from the nursing, so that is not an issue, but they were still together all the time.  The night after the attack, Bubbles stayed in the carport with Honey Bandit and Patches and I.  He was actually pretty good, after a few whinnies "good night" to his mom he had settled in nicely.  Now Honey Bandit thinks this is great fun.  He is having "sleep overs" every night.  He and Patches talk to "Bubbles" through the partition and all is well.  (as well as can be when you have these medical situations).
 
Well, yesterday I had to take "B" out and flush out and scrub his wounds.  Wow is that a stomach turner.  It makes you not only feel sick inside, but kind of mean too.  In reality that is what needs to be done and so we do it.  But it still doesn't make it pleasant.  His wounds are so bad that we can't just put a band aid on them per say. When I took him outside though, he and his mommy thought they needed a great big reunion.  Can't say I blamed them, so I did his medicine and treatment right beside her pen. All was good and after awhile they got bored and ignored each other;  until, I put him back in his stall.  Within about 5 minutes he had trashed the place.  He had an absolute tantrum.  I so wish I had caught it on video.  It would have been hilarious.
 
He stomped my gallon bottle of water, tipped his over, pulled everything off the bed, cleared the counter which he could only reach standing on his hind legs, and took one tiny little hoof and planted it on the screen of my laptop.  Now I had to wait until I was almost 50 years old to get my first lap top.  It doesn't work to have to bring a monitor, modem etc. Out here while I am taking care of the horses etc.  It's not like we have an office.  So as you can imagine, I was not happy about the laptop whatsoever.
 
Now you can't really blame DaBubbles.  He is not only torn apart, but now torn away from his mom.  No matter how much he likes to hang around "the boys", it is not mommy.  After his mom was picked up yesterday, he settled down just fine though.  Bear (the dobie) is sleeping in here with him, and Patches and HB, so he will adjust quickly.  So for now I borrowed a computer, but will have to get a new one quickly.
 
Fish and game came out to "verify" it was a mountain lion attack so they could issue a permit in case he comes back.  He was also amazed that DaBubbles survived.  Most likely thanks to the dogs and his mom.
 
I know it sounds harsh, but I am glad it wasn't Honey Bandit.  His immune system is so compromised that there would be little chance of him surviving such a horrible attack.  Cats have such dangerous bacteria in their mouths.  DaBubbles is little, but he is strong and healthy, and I am giving him all the love and care possible. 
 
I went in the house this morning to get some coffee, and the kitchen floor was flooded.  There is also flooding outside the kitchen window on the porch area also.  Poor Matt, it just doesn't stop.  He is trying to get the carport modified so it will be okay for winter, and now he has to stop and fix the pipes, or whatever it is.
 
So I guess we are trying to just sit back and take a breath.  Individually, nothing is too big of a deal, well maybe DaBubbles is kind of frightening with the cat and all, but none of it is as bad as having a sick kid etc.  But together life's little trials can get overwhelming.  I know this is nothing in the scheme of things, but we're human, and sometimes it is a little bit much.  However, I am very grateful that I was able to borrow this monitor so I could continue the updates etc.
 
Hope you have a peaceful and blessed day.
 
P
 
p.s.   The Christmas "Wish list" ya'll are asking for (for Honey Bandit) will be up soon on our website at   www.chillypepper.weebly.com
 
Thanks so much

I sit here with a breaking heart as I write to you.  Honey Bandit is fine, PTL, but we had a horrible incident today.  At about 1:30 p.m., today, DaBubbles, an approximately 5 month old miniature that was receiving eye care, was attacked in broad day light by a mountain lion.  We did not see the mountain lion, only the havoc wreaked upon this poor baby.
 
Now we always prepare for cats around here.  We put in the tiny, young or vulnerable animals at night.  We know that we have moved into their territory.  We personally know people who have lost animals to the mountain lions, but actually having it happen in your own yard is scarier and more horrible than you can prepare for.  In the past month or so, we have lost 3 cats.  The last one I was witness to.  I heard the poor thing screaming and at first thought it was a dog chasing her.  But I had ALL OF MY DOGS with me.  Whatever was after my cat, and I am assuming it was the mountain lion, came through even though there were 4 dogs outside.  Unfortunately these were wild feral cats that lived outdoors.
 
I know that up the road a few miles, there have been 5 dogs or so killed by a mountain lion with twin cubs.  I also know that mountain lion's cubs were seen down in Manton this last summer.  (I am assuming they are the same twin cubs.)  Mountain lions have a 10 mile square radius they call their territory.  Several months ago, a large one was tracked up behind our place.  An injured one was spotted on  property near Shingletown Ridge Road.
 
We know they are out there, and we share this land with them.  Although they have been known to eat upwards of 20 or more foals yearly in this area, we go about our daily lives, trying as best we can to take the precautions to keep our animals safe.  Last year there were full grown miniature horses, goats, cats and dogs killed by mountain lions.
 
But today, in broad daylight, the little miniature known as DaBubbles was lying quietly near the barn after playing and running around.  Apparently, from what we can tell from the injuries, a cat came and grabbed him by the neck.  He has deep slices that resemble knife wounds.  He has scratches all over his neck, caused by razor sharp claws.  He is torn up and only the fact that his mama, (and possibly the dogs and other mini out there) came to his rescue and scared the big cat away, caused him to survive.  There was no sign of struggle or him being pulled to the ground.  From what we can tell he was simply taking a nap.
 
He has suffered hideous injuries and was immediately taken to the vet.  The first words out of the vet tech's mouth were "this looks like a cat".  He is home now, in the carport next to my bed, adjacent to Honey Bandit and Patches.  He will require ongoing care for a great deal of time.  The poor thing was just starting to do well after an eye injury.   He is quiet now, and the vet gave him antibiotics, and some other medicines to help him stay comfortable while starting the long road to recovery.
 
I was told by several people to keep this quiet, but felt impelled to let people know.  A cat does not normally hunt during daylight hours.  From what I understand, the cat that was recently spotted at some people's "camp" was injured.  Nothing was done about the mountain lion, and that camp is only a few miles from our home.  So there is a good chance that it is an injured cat that is struggling to stay alive and that is why he is hunting in daylight.  Also, since he has an injury, he may have an infection or be ill from his wounds.  These animals can be extremely dangerous.   It could have been a small child that was attacked.
 
I understand that we have moved into their territory, but this is obviously a cat with problems.  We live near the school and every so often they have to put out signs when there is a "cat incident".  Several years ago one of the neighbors by the school watched her cat being eaten by a mountain lion.  So even though we are not strangers to "cat incidents", we need to take these very seriously.  Please say a prayer for DaBubbles.  He is such a sweetie.  All is quiet as Ptatches, Honey Bandit, and DaBubbles sit quietly in the carport with me, safe from the scary bad things outside.  We are looking at lots of ongoing continuous care and vet visits, but are expecting a good outcome.  I am sorry this is not a happy update, but ya'll said you want to know what is really going on.  So now we have DaBubbles AND Honey Bandit under 24/7 care.
 
God bless and thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  p

P.SSSSSSSSSS.     SOME OF THE PIX ARE GRAPHIC.  OPEN AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.  Click here to view them

What a day.  Travis and I headed down to Redding to pick up some materials to try and get a little bit more done on Honey Bandit's "temporary winter nursery".   We were thankful to find out that Lowe's was happy to help with some of the materials we needed to work on this ongoing  project.  Their generosity is so appreciated, and it made me so happy to know they were concerned enough to help make sure that Honey Bandit has a warm, safe and dry place to stay this winter.   The manager at Lowe's told me that their community is important to them, and they certainly demonstrated that with their help today.  I grew up in a small town and my dad ran the local hardware store.  Customer service is what made them special, and I can certainly attest to the fact that it is important to Lowe's.
 
We are making baby steps, but each step forward is one step closer to the end.  We are extremely grateful to our wonderful community.  The support and love for Honey Bandit is heartwarming.  I have been asked for Honey Bandit's Christmas Wish List, and I promise I will post it soon.  Wow, our first Honey Bandit Christmas!..Ya'll are way ahead of me, I am still planning Thanksgiving.  But I will get it together soon and put one up.  Thank you for asking about it.
 
Honey Bandit has grown so much!   The first time I measured him for a blanket, he was 40 inches.  He is now 52 inches plus.  Can you believe it?  Also, when we first got him, he seems to be about as tall as my hip, and now he is almost up to my chest.  I think he's grown about a foot or so.  Sometimes when I look at him in the morning it seems like he is bigger than the night before.  I know that isn't really true, but he is just so big.  He is going to be a very, very big boy.  Maybe a "gentle giant".?
 
He is such a complex little (big) guy.  On one hand he is so mellow and sweet, but other times he is still the wild mustang that is ready to fly away from anything scary.  He is bonding so well with me, but if I throw hay "over" the fence, divider etc., he is still ready to go.  I think those helicopters can leave some serious "overhead damage".
 
One thing I think that should be brought up a little bit more is the fact that mustangs are different from domestic horses.  They are incredibly smart, loyal and quick to learn.  However, there are some things that make them harder to train also.  Having worked with mustangs for about 8 years, I have seen so many different scenarios with adoptions.  I have seen a person who knew next to nothing about horses, adopt a wild, mustang colt and filly and form one of the most incredible bonds with them that you could imagine.  She didn't need any knowledge beyond knowing they needed soft, slow, gentle handling and the chance to learn to trust her.
 
I have spent several months trying to put back together a beautiful filly whose leg was broken and we eventually had to put down because the person didn't "understand" the difference between a domestic horse vs. A mustang.  This gentleman was a "trainer" and came in and pushed this little filly too hard.  I had worked with her and she was totally sweet, but very reactive.  In not realizing that mustangs are different, and are very susceptible to pressure, he continued to push her even after she had tried to jump over the panels 5 or 6 times.   The 7th time her leg got caught, had to be pried out and her bone was chipped.  We spent the next few months helping her fight to recover, but there came a day when she looked at me and  I knew it was time to let her go.  She had fought valiantly and would hold her leg up for me to treat it.  This wild horse that was so frightened by too much pressure, was also intelligent enough to "help" with her care and know she could trust us.  Her memory of trusting me remained, even though she had been scared so badly by someone else that she almost died trying to escape.  They don't forget.
 
Now if she was that scared from a "trainer with a whip in a round pen", how do you think those helicopters make them feel.  Like a flying mountain lion they can't get away from???"
 
(I am glad that Honey Bandit never reached the point where he did not want to keep fighting.  If he had, I would respect his choice, but PTL he never did.  All this little boy did was fight to be here, and with all your good help he is thriving.)
 
I also worked with a colt that was considered "unadoptable" and "dangerous".  This little guy was terrified.  After I had him for a couple of years, you could do anything with him.  However, I could not erase a memory he had that was terrifying.  We could never tell what the trigger was, but narrowing it down, it seemed to be related to a mountain lion.  We could never hear or see anything, but apparently he would smell something and the fear came back so strong that he would go crazy, crashing into fences or through whatever was in his way.  Most of the babies in his band had been killed by  a mountain lion.    So since he was never going to be "safe", we returned him to his wild state.  However, about 6 months later I saw him.  He was not travelling enough to keep his feet in decent shape, so I drove him into a round pen.  Even after being "back in the wild" for about 6 months, after being "sent" around the pen about 2 times, his memory was there and he stood ground tied while I trimmed his feet for the last time.  He never forgot what he experienced, the good or the bad.
 
Obviously mustangs are awesome horses.  However, most often, they need to be handled by someone who knows what they are doing and require a little bit different handling than a domestic horse, until they have time to adjust.  They are much more sensitive to pressure, but if treated properly make some of the best horses there are.
 
In a world where there are hundreds, if not thousands, of already trained, often high dollar horses, for free or very low costs, why would the government think that there would be many of the mustangs adopted?  And if the government knows that no one will be adopting these mustangs, then how does it justify the 3 strikes and you're out policy.  If a mustang is taken to 3 "adoptions" and Isn't placed, then it can go to an outright sale.   So you have horses that need special handling for the most part, flooding a market that is already flooded with too many horses and no buyers, and we have the answer as to why our mustangs end up on dinner tables.  We need to stop rounding up the horses  until it can be done humanely and all the horses that are already in prison are placed in a healthy and safe environment.   We are losing our wild horses and our heritage and they are being maimed, killed, injured, and stripped away from their families in the process.  It is time to step up and save our history.
 
This has just been on my mind lately.  If we all work together with Honey Bandit, we can make a difference and use his story to stop these round ups.  The fact that ya'll have helped support and save him makes it impossible for people to "forget".   When these horses die in the round ups, we cry for awhile, but they become lost and often forgotten.  And even if they are not forgotten, their stories get buried.  Well, Honey Bandit is alive and well, and he is not going to go away.  Together, we need to make sure that his story is burning bright, shining a light so bright on these horrors that they cannot be ignored.  Please share his story with your friends and loved ones, and tell them to share his story.  We need to stop this now before there are any more horses going through what Honey Bandit did, or the other horrors that are happening.   Thank you for being part of Honey Bandit's mission.  God Bless.  p

It's Wednesday night, and the expected temperature for Shingletown is 20 degrees.  Am so glad that we have some insulation up.  It should only get down to around 25ish or so at our house.  Patches and Honey Bandit are munching away and it is rather cozy in our little carport.  The heater is blazing merrily away.  It definitely helps quite a bit.
 
I received an interesting email, commenting on the "negative aspects" of Honey Bandit that I am including in my updates.   I answered, but thought that maybe others might be curious as to why I include those tidbits of information.
 
I was shocked and horrified when I first learned how fragile these beautiful babies are. I learned this during my first "critical rescue", when I was warned about not getting "too attached".  I was told of stories where babies in Honey Bandit's condition, or maybe not even as bad, would be "brought back to health".  They would thrive with the loving care they received and then start growing like crazy.  Everything would be fine for a few months, and sometimes even a year.  Then all of a sudden they would crash and die.  This happens  because sometimes their organs are so damaged that they cannot keep up and there is nothing you can do.
 
As Honey Bandit's body was "eating itself" from starvation, and he had been brutally beaten, bit and kicked by the other horses, the true extent of the damage done to this courageous little horse is unknown.  We have to remember that although he looks absolutely beautiful and is thriving, he is not out of the woods yet.   He is doing wonderfully, but there are still some issues, ie. His lungs and a few neurological things.  But we are hoping, and the vet feels that it is very probable, that his brain will continue to improve and his muscle memory will return.  These are not unheard of problems when a foal has been through so much, but we are still monitoring him carefully.
 
So long story short, I just want to let everyone know what is going on, good or bad.  Since he is "America's Poster Boy to Stop the Roundups",  and we are all a part of this rescue and his mission, I feel like you guys deserve the honest truth about what is happening with him.  We couldn't have gotten this far with out everyone's help, prayers and support. 
 
It is truly a blessing to be a part of all this, especially since we are going to see some changes, (I believe) in BLM due to Honey Bandit's story.  We have met some of the most awesome people, and I cannot express my thanks for all the prayers, help, and time spent to save this little guy. 
 
We hit a new first today.  Usually Patches kicks HB and pushes him around when it comes to food.  Of course they always have separate piles of hay, but Patches likes to run HB around for awhile and generally just show him who is the boss.  But tonight for the first time they were eating quietly together.  Ouch, .... poor Patches is lying quietly in the nice fresh straw, and Honey Bandit is walking over there and pawing him.  He loves to take his front hoof and "smack" Patches on the back.  Personally I think it is quite rude to do it when Patches is resting, but HB thinks it is great fun.   Hmmmmmmmmm guess the eating together is over.  After HB did his pawing, Patches got up and made him leave the food.  So now HB went and laid down in the straw.  We don't normally use straw, but since it is going to be even colder tonight, we figured a clean, deep, fresh bed of straw would be nice and warm.
 
We are doing the best we can to get this place "winter-tight", but I sure hope that ya'll will say a prayer.  I am supposed to make sure that HB doesn't breathe really cold air.  So far we haven't had any "worse" problems with his health, and it would be awesome to keep it that way.  Have a wonderful day, and if you haven't had a chance to see Honey Bandit's video, go to the following links.  One of his new "aunties" made it for him.  Enjoy...

A foal named Honey Bandit part A

A foal named Honey Bandit part B

Another cold night and yes, you guessed it, HB got stuck again.  I have never experienced anything like this, but I have to say that Honey Bandit is the most traumatized, seriously injured, "dead horse that came back to life" that I have worked with.  I keep trying to remember that what he went through will take a very long time to get through.
 
It's kind of like after surgery.  Once they take those 30 or so staples out of your leg, well it should stop hurting - right?  At least that's what I always feel like.  It seems like the same with Honey Bandit.  He looks so pretty now that it seems like he should be doing just as well on the inside as he is the outside.  Unfortunately, I have been reminded that is not true.  He continues to remind me daily (or more often "nightly").
 
I do have to say though that he had a pretty good night last night, with the exception of getting stuck.  He had plenty of energy to stay awake all night and whinny and talk to us.  He also played with his water and feed buckets and made lots of noise.
 
It is really looking like HB's brain is still trying to "re-wire" itself.  If you look back to only a month or so ago, he has come a very long way.  He couldn't hear anything, stumbled a lot, and was basically not even "in his little head".   Like the lights were on, but no one was there.  He is still bumping into things a little bit on his right side, but he was injured pretty badly in that area.  So we are hoping and praying that he will improve each day.  I do have some concerns though, because when he first started getting up and down by himself, he seemed to have no trouble with becoming "cast".  But I guess time will tell.  He sure can buck and kick much better.  He is getting a lot more sure footed in that regard.  He also seems to be sore after he plays.  (But again, thinking back to surgery, it takes a long time to get your muscles and tendons etc. Back in shape)
 
We tried a miniscule amount of thiamine (B-1) yesterday.  I am talking about as much as you would put salt on something.  Immediately his bowels became soft, but he seemed to feel okay otherwise.  I was told that you have to be extremely careful with many of the vitamins and supplements, B-1 being one of the main culprits, as if they are not water soluble the horse can "OD" and it can be lethal.  Judging by the tiny amount he was given yesterday and his immediate reaction to it,  it is obvious that a "full" dose would have been extremely traumatic for him, and could have caused catastrophic results.  That is one reason that we are hesitant to give too many supplements, vitamins, etc. When you first start caring for them.  Too many times they can be lethal.  Their little bodies have gone through so much trauma that any type of change can be deadly.
 
However, after talking with my "partners in crime" who take care of these critical foals on a regular basis, we all agree that if we give him enough time to adjust his bowels and insides, this will be a good thing for him.  I know that when I take my b vitamins, it gives me more energy.
 
Matt was working on the carport today.  We are trying to get some insulation up.  Even with a heater running, you could still see your breath.  Now personally, that is my kind of sleeping weather, except when you have to keep getting up every couple hours for the little guy.  The problem is that it is very bad for Honey Bandit to be breathing the cold air.  It is the worst thing for his lungs.  So hopefully the insulation will make a big difference.
 
When we let Honey Bandit out this morning, (after it had warmed up a little bit and the ice had melted off the cars),  he was prancing around.  He was totally enjoying the cold fresh air, even if his lungs weren't.  He is quite the flashy little guy when he wants to be.    Matt walked in a couple of minutes ago and Patches had gotten his leg stuck in the strap of Honey Bandit's blanket.  They are amazing at the amount of trouble they can get into in a minute.
 
Hope ya'll had a wonderful day.  Appreciate all your prayers.  Take Care.

Another Sleepless Night - Wow, sounds almost like a movie. Ha ha.
 
It is pouring down rain and the wind is blowing like crazy.  It is a beautiful, wild morning, but quite cold.  The winds are intense and the rain is coming down in sheets.  Quite stormy, which is my favorite if it is raining.  My fingers are freezing as I type, but the rest of me is warm and snug under my comforter.  It is about 4:45 a.m. Right now, and I am not sure if the time has changed on my computer.  I do believe I read an email stating this was the weekend.
 
It is kind of annoying as I listen to my hubby's alarm going off.  As we have literally been awake since about 3:00 a.m., he has already gotten up and went inside.  However he forgot to turn off his alarm clock..  I have kind of an issue with "beeping" etc. From being in ICU for a week during one of my surgeries.  My little alarm went off pretty much 24/7 as I could not stop fidgeting because it wasn't the most pleasant feeling I have ever had.  So now those noises drive me nuts.  But,,,,,,, I am being a baby because it is cold and I am so warm and snug that I don't want to get up and turn it off.  Pretty sad - huh?  Ha ha.  But in my defense I really didn't get any sleep again, so that must give me some room to be a wuss.
 
About 3 a.m., HB got stuck on the door.  I am hoping he outgrows this little issue before he gets too big for me to move.  I can barely  get him rolled over now.  Poor Patches was right outside, but he didn't want to stay in the outdoor shelter, he wanted to be inside with us.  So once again we are all together inside.  So far so good.  We don't appear to be flooding inside or leaking either.  It is still too cold, but hopefully our friend will get here next week and we can start getting it weather tight, insulated and it will be safe for HB
 
The noise on the tin roof is deafening.  You can't hear anything but the driving rain smashing against the roof.  The wind sounds like the ocean as it sweeps the water across the roof.  It is kind of cool as it sounds like the ocean is "rolling in" over my head.
 
We appreciate all the good thoughts, ideas, etc. For helping Honey Bandit.  I welcome anyone who would like to send their "favorite cure".  I know there are so many things out there, but I do not have funds to buy each and everyone, or even a couple for that matter, to try them.  I also have to follow my vet's guidance, along with Shirley's and Susan's of course, as to the very delicate changes we make to his regimen.   So please do not think that we don't pay attention to all the good advice, or that I don't discuss them with my vet.  But we simply cannot afford to get them.  If anyone has a "hood" that they are not using that they wouldn't mind letting HB use it would be awesome.  He is getting so big and now he is trying to outgrow all of his blankets.  (little brat - ha ha).   Just like a kid to out grow his clothes.  Isn't that just the most wonderful thing to happen?  Wasn't sure if we would ever have that problem.  He can wear the very largest "mini blanket" or probably a yearling size horse blanket.  Luckily he can still wear 2 of his blankets for awhile longer.
 
Our Million Dollar Mustang is on the way to making even more changes.  It is so good to know that "the tides are changing", as my friend so eloquently stated.   Again I got some great video of Patches and Honey Bandit playing.  They only got to go outside for a couple of minutes as it was too rainy and cold for HB.  But for now, all is quiet.  HB is lying quietly and isn't stuck yet.  Patches is still outside, although I am sure he will end up inside before too long.  He has learned how to "knock", or rather pound on the door, when he truly needs to come in.   Today two of his "aunties" came to visit, and after getting a lovely massage, he and Patches got very rowdy.  They were chasing each other around inside the stall and rearing up and jumping on each other.    It is very cute to watch, but not in such close quarters.  So we are going to encourage that kind of play to stay outside.
 
Well it is getting very cold, so I am going to say goodnight and hide under the covers.  Take care and have a wonderful day.  Hugs.

Check out the two new HB videos on the Honey Bandit Videos page

PLEASE CALL the White House comment line (202) 456-1111 on MONDAY, NOV. 8th and leave a message for the President asking him for an executive moratorium on ALL the BLM's Wild Horse roundups. If ALL of us call on this SAME day with the Same message, maybe it will help stop these roundups. This is URGENT. The BLM just added an additional 1,184 horses to be removed by the end of this year!
 
Hi ya'll.  Promised we'd pass that message on through Honey Bandit's friends.
 
HB had a pretty good day today.  At least he thought so anyway.  His temperature is staying within the realms of good health.  He spent a pretty quiet day, although he perked up a little bit when the leaves were dancing in the wind.  He also was rearing up and playing with Patches, until the exact second I brought out the camera.  Little brat knows exactly when to stop.  It is so frustrating because they are so very entertaining.   I attached a few pictures of them playing.  It is kind of funny to watch HB back into Patches.  He can tip him pretty easily.  When ever HB manages to knock Patches down or even just off balance, Patches will just lay down and roll over, like he planned that in the first place.
 
Pretty much spent all of last night awake, worrying and listening to the weird noises HB was making.  You know how it is when you are worried about something, well you hear every little teeny thing.   Hoping to just get some sleep tonight.  Matt is hoping that my "feeding change" will help his little problem.  Matt has the pleasure of sleeping right next to the "divider".  Honey Bandit has chosen that very close and personal corner as his own private bathroom.  I will be drifting off a little bit, only to hear Matt, "WHY does he do that right there?".  I have to admit it is not the most pleasant scent there is for dreamland.
 
It is amazing how fast you can learn to live in a carport.  Jennifer was teasing me yesterday that I don't have matching rugs and curtains.  However, I do have flowers.  Our roses have been going crazy with this weird weather.  So we have fancy flowers and Honey Bandit knows he is a classy guy.  It would almost be embarrassing when we go to Crossroads, as we are surrounded by beautiful, fancy, expensive trailers and horses that cost a very pretty penny;  However, everyone is so impressed with Mr. Honey Bandit's good manners and fabulous recovery the rest all melts into the background.  There were a couple of ladies there with a beautiful trailer and very very expensive and beautiful horses.  But it warmed my heart, because even though our trailer looks kind of scary next to theirs, they were totally impressed as I put the lead over Honey Bandit's butt and told him to get in and he jumped right into the trailer.
 
So I guess if he is not going to cooperate with the pictures, I am very glad that he cooperates other times.  On a very positive note, Honey Bandit has not had any dangerous temperature spikes so far.  That is very good news.  He walked into the wall on the right side again last night.  We are just watching him carefully.  He loves his visitors and hopes everyone keeps coming.  There are supposed to be some big things happening in the near future and he is supposed to be a big part of it.  We are keeping our fingers crossed.  It makes things easier knowing that what he went through was not for nothing.
 
Hopefully we will be working on getting the temporary nursery dry and warm enough to keep him healthy and prevent any more/worse lung or health problems.
   

Hi
 
Last night was a very long night.  I didn't let Patches stay with Honey Bandit last night.  For now I think I will have them "sleep (ha ha)" separately.  I believe Honey Bandit gets more rest when they are separated.  Just like kids.  But after breakfast they were back together.  They are so bonded and I really like watching them chase each other around.
 
The day before when we put them out to play though, HB ran with Patches for about a minute, and then he stood around munching while Patches did flips, bucked out and generally had a fabulous time playing with the dogs.
 
It is so weird because HB did go through a time when he loved to run and buck and had a lot of energy.  He would definitely get real tired and worn out after, but now he doesn't play that hard.  I guess when there are issues with your lungs it does wear you out.  I had pneumonia and it was miserable.
 
He doesn't seem like he is totally miserable though.  Just kind of tired and worn out. He actually looks really really good.   Sure hasn't stopped him from eating or even slowed him down.  I think he's like me.  I eat for comfort, when I am stressed, happy and when I am depressed.  I just like to "graze".  So we fit together pretty well that way.  I don't think he even knows how to stop eating, "just in case"..........  He also doesn't like stuff above him - gee, could that be from being chased and terrorized by a helicopter?
 
I had to get up 3 times last night because he "cast himself" against the stall.  Matt and I were wondering about the fact that it always seems to be on the right side.  I know when we first got him that he was always walking in to things on that side.  He also had a pretty bad eye infection and couldn't see so well.  Who knows, maybe that side of his head isn't quite caught up to the growth and development of the other one.  I believe that is the side he was kicked in the head on.
 
I know that many people have seen his pictures and wanted to know why we are still sleeping with him and watching him 24/7.  With Chilly Pepper I could tell when she was "ok" and ready to sleep outside without me.  But with Honey Bandit I simply know that I have to be with him and that we need to watch over him constantly.  Also, it has become more and more obvious by the continued "castings" etc that he is far from ready to be a "big boy" in his big boy room by himself.  We will just stay with him until we know, or at least feel like it might be safe.  Matt is thinking that there could be some brain damage?  Not severe, but there are just a few things that aren't quite right.  However, with time they could improve.
 
On a much lighter note,  Honey Bandit and Patches did play for a few minutes and had an absolute blast.  They were quite comical.  Patches rears up and can barely get his feet over Bandit's back.  Then it is Bandit's turn, and that is when it really gets good.  He stands over patches, grabs his mane in his mouth and gets ready to jump up on top of Patches.  But he is already taller than him.  You can see his frustration.  They bounce around chasing each, biting and shoving.  I looked over and all at once Patches was on the ground.  Apparently Honey Bandit pushed a little bit too hard.  I have wonderful video on some mini cd's.  As soon as I figure out how to do something with it I will share their little "fun times" with ya'll.  I attached a couple pictures.  The little one is the miniature that I am taking care of.  "Bubbles" had a very serious eye injury, but is doing well.  So far HB's temperatures are staying where they should, and that is good news as he is no longer on the antibiotics.  Will keep you posted.  Take care.

Did you ever need to cry so badly that it hurt?  I kind of feel like that right now.  I am probably just too tired and emotionally drained, but today was just too hard.
 
I have mentioned that Honey Bandit's energy level is not where it should be, and that he keeps getting cast and I have to go turn him so he can get up.  Well, today I took him to the vet.  I wanted him to get a blood test as I am worried about him.  Don't get me wrong.  On the outside he is looking perfect.   He eats all the time, his bodily functions seem to be working just fine and there is no real visible sign of any issues.  But he is off.  There is just something not quite right.  He has been making this weird moaning?? Chesty sounding??? Noise when he eats or has his head down.  I think I mentioned it before.  It was scaring me and he didn't do that before.  Now I understand that he has been through so much, and that his poor little body is very tired.  But this is different......
 
We did the blood test and got very good news.  His blood work all looks good.  Yeah  PTL for that one.  But the thing that is making me so sad and a little scared is the fact that his lungs sound worse than they did two weeks ago.  Both vets described his lungs as sounding "Harsh".  They do not sound like he has pneumonia, but they definitely got worse over the last two weeks.  He has been on this last antibiotic for a month now, and he was on a different  before that.
 
Now one of the reasons that this is particularly worrisome for me is this.  Apparently a grown horse from the same place that HB came from died of a disease called Rhodococous.  Apparently this is very rare for an adult horse to contract, but when this sick horse died and a neocropsy was performed, they found out that it died of Rhodococous.
 
From what I was told, this adult horse would have had to have an immune deficiency to get sick from this and die, as it is normally a foal disease.
 
The last time I was at the vet we had discussed the possibility that Honey Bandit actually had contracted this.  Due to the fact that we put him on antibiotics  immediately when I noticed him cough, it may have stunted the severity of his case.  We are not sure, but we took x rays after he was already on an antibiotic, and it showed a light cloudiness.  We had discussed the possibility that his lungs weren't worse because he had been on the meds and because of this we continued the antibiotics for this last month.    But to find out today that his lungs are worse than two weeks ago in spite of being on the medicine was simply heartbreaking.
 
I know that this is not a reason to panic, but I have known something was off and I guess I was really hoping to be proved wrong.  It doesn't make sense for him to be worse.  After talking to one of the foal rescues, she said that maybe he is just getting over it and this is the worst it will get.  It is so hard not to know and so very scary.
 
The vet told me to make sure I stay on top of  taking his temp at least twice a day to monitor him, especially since he is no longer on antibiotics.   This is critical as we don't know for sure what is happening.
 
I am sorry this is not a happy note, but more like getting kicked in the chest.  I also have to remember the fact that sometimes when a foal has been so damaged, things can go wrong unexpectedly.  Please keep Honey Bandit in your prayers.  As I said, he looks fabulous, and just seems to be a little bit under the weather on the surface.
 
The best case scenario is that he will just start getting more energy and his lungs will clear up on their own.  It's almost funny, after everything we have been through, this setback seemed almost over whelming.  But I know he will continue to fight.   He obviously will continue to need vet care and we will make sure that he gets it, but we can't do it without your prayers.
 
Take care and God bless.  Hugs and kisses from Honey Bandit.